Family Lifestyle Photography

Your family will experience many happy milestones together but these special times often go undocumented. My baby girl is coming up to her second birthday but in that short time, as good as my memory is, if it wasn't for my photographs to look back on, I'm not sure I would be able to recall all those ever so precious moments.

Family lifestyle photography is all about you and your family, your life and style. It's about having fun and getting some great images, capturing memories that you will always treasure - enjoy!

Lifestyle Portrait Photography

Lifestyle portrait photography offers an alternative to stuffy or repetitive studio photography, allowing you to create pictures full of life and personality in your own home or a place close to your heart.

Lifestyle photography is a different way to obtain solo or group portraits that removes the unfamiliar enclosed space of a studio and allows you to roam free in your own environment, making for a far more relaxed atmosphere. And the more relaxed a subject is, the better the photos! Lifestyle portrait photography means your photos are taken on location, either at your home or another place that is special to you - perhaps a holiday home, garden or park. Your shots will be unposed and natural, producing candid images that reflect your personality and mood, as well as capturing your favourite place as a backdrop.

From solo portraits to families, babies to teenagers, or even your pet, lifestyle portrait photography always produces brilliantly natural images with relaxed, happy subjects. Allow your portrait photographer to snap away while you relax, play, read, eat, work or just enjoy your favourite view. You can even invite your photographer along to a special event or to visit your favourite attraction or location. From a walk in the woods to a trip to the pool, rain or shine, whatever season, lifestyle photography is a great option for people who want more than posing in front of a white background.

Lifestyle Photography

Lifestyle photography is all about capturing your essence. It is similar to the environmental portrait but it takes it a step further. Wikipedia defines lifestyle photography as "re-creating real life situations in a controlled setting."

Lifestyle photography is very different from the traditional studio portrait session where the subject is posed (chin-up, tilt your head, hands on the lap etc.), photographed and ushered out of the studio. The majority of lifestyle photography shoots take place outdoors or on-location, such as in your home or some other place that is significant to you. Lifestyle sessions usually last from one hour to three hours and include a few formal or posed shots and lots of informal, candid photographs that capture doing what you do best. If it is a family lifestyle photo shoot, be prepared to run after your kids, roll around with them, take them for a piggyback ride or simply enjoy sharing an ice-cream with them - anything that you would normally do on a Sunday afternoon with your children.

In Hawaii, where I live, lifestyle photography sessions often center around the ocean or the great outdoors where people spend a lot of their time. If you are a paddler or a surfer, the photographer will ask you to come to the shoot in your board shorts with your paddle or your favorite surfboard. A typical session will include a few posed shots on your favorite beach and then the fun begins ... its off to the water to do what you love. Some photographers will get in the water with you while others will shoot from the shore. 

This is not to say that lifestyle photography can't take place in a studio - it can, but a studio can be limiting. There are photographers who specialize in studio lifestyle photography, and if the outdoors is not for you, this is a good alternative.

Preparing for a lifestyle photography session is easy after you find the right photographer. Wear what you normally wear to do what you love, then show up for the session with a good attitude!